"3[May the LORD] Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah." (Psalm 20: 3)
Today, under the New Covenant of Christ Jesus, we have a perfect and acceptable sacrifice for our sins:
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5: 21)
The righteousness of God in Christ -- we cannot get much better than that.
In fact, Paul also writes:
"To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." (Ephesian 1: 6)
Not only is our sacrifice accepted, in that God the Father is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (1 John 1: 9), but we are also accepted in the most Accepted of all -- Jesus Christ:
"1Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." (1 John 3: 1)
and
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)
In fact, the only sacrifice left for us to give is praise, since Jesus has done everything
"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." (Hebrews 13: 15)
Notice that even this sacrifice we do through our High Priest Jesus Christ, too!
Indeed, our sacrifices our remembered, because when Jesus died on the Cross, He shed His blood which keeps on cleansing (1 John 1: 7) and through Him we have an advocate at the right hand of God the Father when we sin (1 John 2: 1-2)
Rejoice, Beloved! The once and for all sacrifice of Jesus for your sins is remembered forevermore!
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Monday, September 29, 2014
Help from the Living God, Not Man
Help from the Living God, not Man
"For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe." (1 Timoth 4: 10)
God is a Savior, and is living.
The way that some Christians live, however, it seems as though God is not alive, nor is He a Savior.
Yet we find both savior and life when we see Jesus:
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1: 21)
and
"31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:31-33)
He is also life manifested for us:
"27And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20: 27-28)
and
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
then
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
and of course
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14: 6)
We need help from a living God, not from man. We need His saving, not our own efforts.
For the longest time, I read the Bible as an exercise in religious discipline. Not seeking answers but training myself in the way to go. I was not taking in what I was reading. I just wanted to feel better.
Ever learning, but not coming closer to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3: 7), that is the result of going through the motions of turning pages, when the pages of the Bible are all about turning us to be more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:1 8)
God is a Savior, and is living.
The way that some Christians live, however, it seems as though God is not alive, nor is He a Savior.
Yet we find both savior and life when we see Jesus:
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1: 21)
and
"31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:31-33)
He is also life manifested for us:
"27And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20: 27-28)
and
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
then
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
and of course
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14: 6)
We need help from a living God, not from man. We need His saving, not our own efforts.
For the longest time, I read the Bible as an exercise in religious discipline. Not seeking answers but training myself in the way to go. I was not taking in what I was reading. I just wanted to feel better.
Ever learning, but not coming closer to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3: 7), that is the result of going through the motions of turning pages, when the pages of the Bible are all about turning us to be more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:1 8)
Sunday, September 28, 2014
In His Righteousness, We Never Flee
"The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion." (Isaiah 28: 1)
Why do the wicked flee when no one is running after them?
Because of a seared conscience, because of their sin.
When Adam and Eve sinned, the first thing they did was. . .hide:
"And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden." (Genesis 3: 8)
and also
"There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked." (Isaiah 48: 22)
Even though the first man and woman had clothed themselves to hide their nakedness (really, their shame from being separate from God), they were still in sin, they were separated from God.
God was not looking for sin, and He was not going to punish them or kill them, yet they ran away.
So too, man is running away, trying to flee from sin and shame.
How do we stop running? Not from trying to justify ourselves, as Adam and Eve attempted, but in receiving God's righteousness, which God gives to us through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus!
"And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness." (Isaiah 16: 5)
Then
"In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee." (Isaiah 54: 14)
This love comes from God through His Son:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting." (John 3: 16)
Because of Jesus, we are seated as kings and priests (1 Peter 2: 9) in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-6):
"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 17)
This gift of righteousness grants us boldness to come before God:
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4: 16)
The writer of Hebrews presents this truth in the context of receiving righteousness as a gift instead of earning it through our works.
Because of this righteousness, we can trust that no weapon formed against us will prosper:
"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54: 17)
Because of His righteousness, we receive His grace, and through His grace we are strengthened we people attack us:
"9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10)
Because of the righteousness of God, we do not fear shame or reproach, or God's disapproval, we know that we can come to Him boldly, and we overcome all attacks from the Enemy and enemies in our midst.
Why do the wicked flee when no one is running after them?
Because of a seared conscience, because of their sin.
When Adam and Eve sinned, the first thing they did was. . .hide:
"And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden." (Genesis 3: 8)
and also
"There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked." (Isaiah 48: 22)
Even though the first man and woman had clothed themselves to hide their nakedness (really, their shame from being separate from God), they were still in sin, they were separated from God.
God was not looking for sin, and He was not going to punish them or kill them, yet they ran away.
So too, man is running away, trying to flee from sin and shame.
How do we stop running? Not from trying to justify ourselves, as Adam and Eve attempted, but in receiving God's righteousness, which God gives to us through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus!
"And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness." (Isaiah 16: 5)
Then
"In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee." (Isaiah 54: 14)
This love comes from God through His Son:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting." (John 3: 16)
Because of Jesus, we are seated as kings and priests (1 Peter 2: 9) in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-6):
"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 17)
This gift of righteousness grants us boldness to come before God:
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4: 16)
The writer of Hebrews presents this truth in the context of receiving righteousness as a gift instead of earning it through our works.
Because of this righteousness, we can trust that no weapon formed against us will prosper:
"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54: 17)
Because of His righteousness, we receive His grace, and through His grace we are strengthened we people attack us:
"9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10)
Because of the righteousness of God, we do not fear shame or reproach, or God's disapproval, we know that we can come to Him boldly, and we overcome all attacks from the Enemy and enemies in our midst.
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Do Not Boast, But Trust Him for Tomorrow
"Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." (Proverbs 27: 1)
Many read this verse, and conclude that tomorrow is a mystery, and they can have no assurance about tomorrow.
Let us look at the verse and let the Spirit of God minister to us through the Word of God:
"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6: 63)
and then
"31Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8: 31-32)
The first word of Proverbs 27 is "boast", in the original Hebrew "halal", the same root for Lucifer:
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer (Helel), son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!" (Isaiah 14: 12)
Lucifer, later Satan, was the chief angel, who held two offices, yet rebelled against God's authority, and tried to make himself God, stating "I will" as recorded in Isaiah 14.
The verse speaks about boasting of ourselves about tomorrow, or praising ourselves for the things that we are going to accomplish in the next day or days.
The issue is not so much the mystery of the next day, since Jesus Himself encourages us not to take thought for the morrow (Matthew 6: 33-34).
This proverb actually dissuades us from taking pride in our own strength, for we do not know what a day may bring forth or "give birth to " in the Original Hebrew.
Yet God has brought forth many things for us, in one day.
Keep in mind that the world would never have conceived of God becoming a man, and yet Jesus came:
"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7: 14)
and
"How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man." (Jeremiah 31: 22)
What else was brought forth in a day? The nation of Israel!
"Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children." (Isaiah 66: 8)
This verse also speaks of the Body of Christ, as we were born again in Christ, and we are His body.
We do not boast in ourselves for tomorrow because we have no strength in ourselves:
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15: 5)
We may not know what the future holds, but we need who holds the future:
"Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:" (Isaiah 46: 10)
and
"He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing." (Job 26 7)
God who is outside of time, who declares the end from the beginning, who hangs the world on nothing, cares for you and me (1 Peter 5: 6-7), and has nothing but good planned for us:
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." (Jeremiah 29: 11)
and
"Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace," (2 Thessalonians 2: 16)
We do not bring forth anything in tomorrow, but God our Father does, and we can trust that He has nothing but good planned for us. Let hope (the confident expectation of good) be your helmet today (1 Thessalonians 5: 8) and trust Him for your tomorrows.
Many read this verse, and conclude that tomorrow is a mystery, and they can have no assurance about tomorrow.
Let us look at the verse and let the Spirit of God minister to us through the Word of God:
"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6: 63)
and then
"31Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8: 31-32)
The first word of Proverbs 27 is "boast", in the original Hebrew "halal", the same root for Lucifer:
"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer (Helel), son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!" (Isaiah 14: 12)
Lucifer, later Satan, was the chief angel, who held two offices, yet rebelled against God's authority, and tried to make himself God, stating "I will" as recorded in Isaiah 14.
The verse speaks about boasting of ourselves about tomorrow, or praising ourselves for the things that we are going to accomplish in the next day or days.
The issue is not so much the mystery of the next day, since Jesus Himself encourages us not to take thought for the morrow (Matthew 6: 33-34).
This proverb actually dissuades us from taking pride in our own strength, for we do not know what a day may bring forth or "give birth to " in the Original Hebrew.
Yet God has brought forth many things for us, in one day.
Keep in mind that the world would never have conceived of God becoming a man, and yet Jesus came:
"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7: 14)
and
"How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man." (Jeremiah 31: 22)
What else was brought forth in a day? The nation of Israel!
"Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children." (Isaiah 66: 8)
This verse also speaks of the Body of Christ, as we were born again in Christ, and we are His body.
We do not boast in ourselves for tomorrow because we have no strength in ourselves:
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15: 5)
We may not know what the future holds, but we need who holds the future:
"Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:" (Isaiah 46: 10)
and
"He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing." (Job 26 7)
God who is outside of time, who declares the end from the beginning, who hangs the world on nothing, cares for you and me (1 Peter 5: 6-7), and has nothing but good planned for us:
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." (Jeremiah 29: 11)
and
"Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace," (2 Thessalonians 2: 16)
We do not bring forth anything in tomorrow, but God our Father does, and we can trust that He has nothing but good planned for us. Let hope (the confident expectation of good) be your helmet today (1 Thessalonians 5: 8) and trust Him for your tomorrows.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Mind Stayed on Him, not Us
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26: 3)
He is our life, and before we rest in this truth, we need to understand that He is the fullness of all things. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul could not expound on Jesus' full preeminence any better:
"15[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." (Colossians 1: 15-20)
He holds all things together, including you and me.
Yet that is not His greater claim to fame:
"21And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;" (Colossians 1: 21-23)
We have been redeemed from sin and death through His death and resurrection. To create, God only had to speak. To redeem all of us, God had to bleed, and bleed He did through His Son Jesus.
The question which brings us back to peace every time is not about fixing our thinking, but remembering that He is there, and He is there for us, regardless of what we are thinking and feeling.
The problem was not what I was doing or not doing, but that I was not seeing more of Jesus, growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3: 18)
God no longer invites us to look at ourselves, but to look at His Son:
"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3: 18)
The issue is not thinking differently, or doing more, but gaining a greater revelation of Jesus.
How can our minds not be stayed on Him? He covers every inch of eternity, and wherever we go, we know that He is already there.
The issue was not me, but seeing more of Him.
The issue was not keeping my mind thinking or feeling a certain way.
The revelation that He is not going anywhere, and that He is committed to taking care of me every step of the way - that brings me great peace.
There is no reason to ask questions like: "What about tomorrow?" as if tomorrow is too big for God.
There is no reason to ask: "How shall I do. . ." since He is our life, and He is living and moving within us and willing in us both to desire all things.
In fact, the language of the verse in the Original Hebrews speaks not actively of our resting on Him, but rather Him causing us to rest in Him.
Sound familiar?
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11: 28)
The Greek literally reads: "I will rest you."
Wow!
We need to understand that Jesus is a living Person, our God and a Savior who does not stop saving us.
We do not come to Him just as a rest from our sinful former selves and receive His Life. He invites us to come to Him every day and rest in Him, and Let His life take over.
This rest is hard for us if we do not see that He is already taking care of all things for us. The idea of wondering whether He will be there for me or not just makes no sense when you see Him right in front of you, and you know that He cares for you (1 Peter 5: 6-7).
He is our life, and before we rest in this truth, we need to understand that He is the fullness of all things. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul could not expound on Jesus' full preeminence any better:
"15[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." (Colossians 1: 15-20)
He holds all things together, including you and me.
Yet that is not His greater claim to fame:
"21And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;" (Colossians 1: 21-23)
We have been redeemed from sin and death through His death and resurrection. To create, God only had to speak. To redeem all of us, God had to bleed, and bleed He did through His Son Jesus.
The question which brings us back to peace every time is not about fixing our thinking, but remembering that He is there, and He is there for us, regardless of what we are thinking and feeling.
The problem was not what I was doing or not doing, but that I was not seeing more of Jesus, growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Peter 3: 18)
God no longer invites us to look at ourselves, but to look at His Son:
"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3: 18)
The issue is not thinking differently, or doing more, but gaining a greater revelation of Jesus.
How can our minds not be stayed on Him? He covers every inch of eternity, and wherever we go, we know that He is already there.
The issue was not me, but seeing more of Him.
The issue was not keeping my mind thinking or feeling a certain way.
The revelation that He is not going anywhere, and that He is committed to taking care of me every step of the way - that brings me great peace.
There is no reason to ask questions like: "What about tomorrow?" as if tomorrow is too big for God.
There is no reason to ask: "How shall I do. . ." since He is our life, and He is living and moving within us and willing in us both to desire all things.
In fact, the language of the verse in the Original Hebrews speaks not actively of our resting on Him, but rather Him causing us to rest in Him.
Sound familiar?
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11: 28)
The Greek literally reads: "I will rest you."
Wow!
We need to understand that Jesus is a living Person, our God and a Savior who does not stop saving us.
We do not come to Him just as a rest from our sinful former selves and receive His Life. He invites us to come to Him every day and rest in Him, and Let His life take over.
This rest is hard for us if we do not see that He is already taking care of all things for us. The idea of wondering whether He will be there for me or not just makes no sense when you see Him right in front of you, and you know that He cares for you (1 Peter 5: 6-7).
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Help from the Living God, not Man
"For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe." (1 Timothy 4: 10)
God is a Savior, and is living.
The way that some Christians live, however, it seems as though God is not alive, nor is He a Savior.
Yet we find both savior and life when we see Jesus:
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1: 21)
and
"31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:31-33)
He is also life manifested for us:
"27And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20: 27-28)
and
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
then
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
and of course
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14: 6)
We need help from a living God, not from man. We need His saving, not our own efforts.
For the longest time, I read the Bible as an exercise in religious discipline. Not seeking answers but training myself in the way to go. I was not taking in what I was reading. I just wanted to feel better.
Ever learning, but not coming closer to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3: 7), that is the result of going through the motions of turning pages, when the pages of the Bible are all about turning us to be more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:1 8)
God is a Savior, and is living.
The way that some Christians live, however, it seems as though God is not alive, nor is He a Savior.
Yet we find both savior and life when we see Jesus:
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1: 21)
and
"31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:31-33)
He is also life manifested for us:
"27And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20: 27-28)
and
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
then
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
and of course
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14: 6)
We need help from a living God, not from man. We need His saving, not our own efforts.
For the longest time, I read the Bible as an exercise in religious discipline. Not seeking answers but training myself in the way to go. I was not taking in what I was reading. I just wanted to feel better.
Ever learning, but not coming closer to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3: 7), that is the result of going through the motions of turning pages, when the pages of the Bible are all about turning us to be more like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:1 8)
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
God Gets Closer When We Try to Flee
"Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me." (Psalm 139: 7-10)
The Beloved David, who is a picture of all of us, beloved in the sight of God because we are accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1: 6).
He is a picture of a man living under a New Covenant, and no matter where he goes, he knows that God is with him.
Notice that our sins do not put God away from us, or cause His Spirit to leave us. David's prayer in Psalm 51, that God would not take His Spirit from him, is no longer the prayer in Psalm 139.
God has searched David (and all of us), and He knows everything (Psalm 139: 1)
He specifically mentions His Spirit in this psalm:
"5Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" (Psalm 139: 5-7)
His hand is on us, not to lead us to bad but to good:
"5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." (Psalm 23: 5-6)
Back in Psalm 139, whether he goes to heaven or hell, David recognizes that God is with him.
The verse that is particularly fascinating, however, points to David's attempt to take the wings of the morning and live in the deepest parts of the ocean.
Obviously, that destination is further away than the grave or hell, and to this day, man has not explored vast stretches of the ocean floor.
Yet even if David takes the fastest means, the rays of sunlight which touch the earth at the dawn of morning, not only is God still there, but God is leading David, and His right hand holds him.
So, even if we are trying our best to get away from God (forget about falling away in our ignorance or despair), not only does God not go away from us, but He is in fact leading us. When we think that we are going away from Him, we are actually growing closer to Him and walking more in concert with His Will.
This may seem strange, but in reality this revelation should give us great comfort and hope. We cannot be lost from God our Father once we are saved. We cannot get away from Him, even when we want to. Even if we get angry with Him and blame Him for our troubles, He does not stop caring for us and carrying us through hard times.
In short -- Even when we try to flee, He is closer than ever to us!
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Not Sin, But Identifying with the Spirirt, not Flesh
Many Christians, whether new or long-term, talk about falling away from God, or going away from God.
Much of the time, they get discouraged, seeing that they still engage in sinful thoughts and actions, that their behavior is not always "Christian-like."
They despair of God's love for them, and they stop going to church.
Some pastors and ministers fall into this discouragement, convinced that they are not worthy to bear the message of God's grace to a fallen, sighing, dying world, because they still see sin in their lives.
Much of this confusion has to do with a limited understanding of all that Jesus did at the Cross for us.
He did not just die for us and our sins, but He also died as us and condemned sin in our flesh.
"1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. " (Romans 8: 1-4)
We are delivered from sins and from sin, including the sin in our flesh.
Whatever feelings we may sense in our bodies, whatever sense of shame or hurt which we inflict in ourselves or others inflict us, we are set free from all of it because of what Jesus did at the Cross.
We are no longer in ourselves, but we are in Christ:
"20For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 21Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." (2 Corinthians 1: 20-22)
God is establishing us now in Christ. We do not establish ourselves.
Now, if He has established us, then there is no going away from Him. The issue for all of us is not getting rid of sin in our lives (for He is the propitiation for all our sins as well as the sins of the entire world -- 1 John 2: 1-2). The issue is relying more on His grace and less on our efforts.
The problem is no longer sin, but rather identifying further with His Spirit instead of our flesh, our selves, our efforts.
Love is not our doing more, but our recognize that we are in Christ, and no longer in ourselves, and that God loves us just as much as His own Son:
"Herein is love perfected among us, that we may boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)
Peter writes at the end of his second epistle:
"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." (2 Peter 3: 18)
Much of the time, they get discouraged, seeing that they still engage in sinful thoughts and actions, that their behavior is not always "Christian-like."
They despair of God's love for them, and they stop going to church.
Some pastors and ministers fall into this discouragement, convinced that they are not worthy to bear the message of God's grace to a fallen, sighing, dying world, because they still see sin in their lives.
Much of this confusion has to do with a limited understanding of all that Jesus did at the Cross for us.
He did not just die for us and our sins, but He also died as us and condemned sin in our flesh.
"1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. " (Romans 8: 1-4)
We are delivered from sins and from sin, including the sin in our flesh.
Whatever feelings we may sense in our bodies, whatever sense of shame or hurt which we inflict in ourselves or others inflict us, we are set free from all of it because of what Jesus did at the Cross.
We are no longer in ourselves, but we are in Christ:
"20For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 21Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." (2 Corinthians 1: 20-22)
God is establishing us now in Christ. We do not establish ourselves.
Now, if He has established us, then there is no going away from Him. The issue for all of us is not getting rid of sin in our lives (for He is the propitiation for all our sins as well as the sins of the entire world -- 1 John 2: 1-2). The issue is relying more on His grace and less on our efforts.
The problem is no longer sin, but rather identifying further with His Spirit instead of our flesh, our selves, our efforts.
Love is not our doing more, but our recognize that we are in Christ, and no longer in ourselves, and that God loves us just as much as His own Son:
"Herein is love perfected among us, that we may boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)
Peter writes at the end of his second epistle:
"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." (2 Peter 3: 18)
Monday, September 22, 2014
The Blood of Jesus Fulfilled the Law
"22And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." (Hebrews 9: 22)
The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1: 7)
We are not cleansed by our thinking and feeling, by our being and doing.
Jesus died for our sins and granted us His Life, Himself, and all things with Him.
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15: 5)
We bear fruit because of our knowledge of all that Jesus did for us:
"9For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; " (Colossians 1: 9-10)
and also
"8For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1: 8)
If we are not fruitful in anyway, this is the reason why:
"9But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." (2 Peter 1: 9)
How are we purged from our sins? By the blood of Jesus!
"How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9: 14)
One key word in the passage above, eternal, should cause us to ask: how?
Of course, we are talking about the eternal blood of Jesus.
Through His blood, He pays for all our sins and the sins of the entire world:
"1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2: 1-2)
and also
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill." (Matthew 5: 17)
Then
"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." (Romans 3: 31)
We are no longer under law, because we have the grace of God, in which all our sins are paid for forever, and thus we have His life in us.
He has fulfilled the law, and thus any further breaking of the law, and thus taken us out of dead Adam under law and brought us into the living Christ.
The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1: 7)
We are not cleansed by our thinking and feeling, by our being and doing.
Jesus died for our sins and granted us His Life, Himself, and all things with Him.
"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15: 5)
We bear fruit because of our knowledge of all that Jesus did for us:
"9For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; " (Colossians 1: 9-10)
and also
"8For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1: 8)
If we are not fruitful in anyway, this is the reason why:
"9But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." (2 Peter 1: 9)
How are we purged from our sins? By the blood of Jesus!
"How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9: 14)
One key word in the passage above, eternal, should cause us to ask: how?
Of course, we are talking about the eternal blood of Jesus.
Through His blood, He pays for all our sins and the sins of the entire world:
"1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2: 1-2)
and also
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill." (Matthew 5: 17)
Then
"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." (Romans 3: 31)
We are no longer under law, because we have the grace of God, in which all our sins are paid for forever, and thus we have His life in us.
He has fulfilled the law, and thus any further breaking of the law, and thus taken us out of dead Adam under law and brought us into the living Christ.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Fight the Good Fight of Faith (Not Feelings)
"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." (1 Timothy 6: 12)
We are forgiven because of the blood of Jesus, yet this sacrifice Jesus cannot do a second time, because He cannot die again.
For this reason, we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5: 7)
Let us also not forget that there were many people who saw Jesus resurrected, and they still did not believe:
"16Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 17And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted." (John 28: 16-17)
Also
"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (John 20: 29)
We receive faith through hearing the Word about Jesus:
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10: 17)
The NIV brings out the full import of the verse:
"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."
We do not grow in faith by our feelings, or by praying for it, but rather our faith increase as we read more of the Word of God and see Jesus throughout:
"And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." (Luke 24: 27)
When Paul exhorted Timothy, and all of us, to fight or rather, be having fought, the good fight of faith, he was exhorting us to rest in the Finished Work of Jesus Christ that we can and do take God at His Word about our state.
Keep in mind, once again, that knowing where we are going is not enough, and God doing things for us is not enough:
"8If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. 9Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. 10But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel." (Numbers 14:8-10)
The Lord God had given the Israelites the land, and He had assured them that He would protect them.
But the majority of the Israelites (in fact, the vast majority of them) did not believe the Lord nor the good report from the two faithful spies:
"And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us." (Deuteronomy 1: 27)
In the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews records:
"For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." (Hebrews 4: 2)
Why did they not believe? They were under law at that point, still trusting in their efforts, still looking to Moses rather than trusting in the Word of God:
"30What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;" (Romans 9: 30-32)
and
"And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them." (Galatians 3: 12)
We are forgiven because of the blood of Jesus, yet this sacrifice Jesus cannot do a second time, because He cannot die again.
For this reason, we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5: 7)
Let us also not forget that there were many people who saw Jesus resurrected, and they still did not believe:
"16Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 17And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted." (John 28: 16-17)
Also
"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (John 20: 29)
We receive faith through hearing the Word about Jesus:
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10: 17)
The NIV brings out the full import of the verse:
"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."
We do not grow in faith by our feelings, or by praying for it, but rather our faith increase as we read more of the Word of God and see Jesus throughout:
"And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." (Luke 24: 27)
When Paul exhorted Timothy, and all of us, to fight or rather, be having fought, the good fight of faith, he was exhorting us to rest in the Finished Work of Jesus Christ that we can and do take God at His Word about our state.
Keep in mind, once again, that knowing where we are going is not enough, and God doing things for us is not enough:
"8If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. 9Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. 10But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel." (Numbers 14:8-10)
The Lord God had given the Israelites the land, and He had assured them that He would protect them.
But the majority of the Israelites (in fact, the vast majority of them) did not believe the Lord nor the good report from the two faithful spies:
"And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us." (Deuteronomy 1: 27)
In the New Testament, the writer of Hebrews records:
"For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." (Hebrews 4: 2)
Why did they not believe? They were under law at that point, still trusting in their efforts, still looking to Moses rather than trusting in the Word of God:
"30What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;" (Romans 9: 30-32)
and
"And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them." (Galatians 3: 12)
So, if I do not accept the Word of God as final, but believe that there is some part which I must play, inevitably or feelings will get into the mix.
God invites us to receive His Word, mixed with faith, and today we can rest assured because we have His faith (Galatians 2: 20-21)
This fight is not an active striving, but rather a peaceful stance of victory:
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:" (Ephesians 6: 10-17)
Be strong in the Lord, not yourself. Be strong in His might, no[t yours. Put on the full armor of God, which is one composite whole, Christ Jesus. We stand -- four times, the passage exhorts us to stand.
"We wrestle not" should read "the wrestling is not to us", i.e the fight is not our fight, but His fight, and He has already won the fight:
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." (Romans 8: 37)
Fight the good, the beautiful fight of faith, which in all literal sense is "be having fought" or recognize that the fight has been won in Christ.
God invites us to receive His Word, mixed with faith, and today we can rest assured because we have His faith (Galatians 2: 20-21)
This fight is not an active striving, but rather a peaceful stance of victory:
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:" (Ephesians 6: 10-17)
Be strong in the Lord, not yourself. Be strong in His might, no[t yours. Put on the full armor of God, which is one composite whole, Christ Jesus. We stand -- four times, the passage exhorts us to stand.
"We wrestle not" should read "the wrestling is not to us", i.e the fight is not our fight, but His fight, and He has already won the fight:
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." (Romans 8: 37)
Fight the good, the beautiful fight of faith, which in all literal sense is "be having fought" or recognize that the fight has been won in Christ.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Let the Truth of His Word Set You Free
"31Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (Hebrews 8: 31-32)
Jesus Word is grace and peace because of all that He has done for us at the Cross:
"Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." (John 6: 29)
then
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (John 13: 34)
John affirms these new commandments for the New Covenant in his epistle:
"And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment." (1 John 3: 23)
When we believe in Jesus, we accept that He has taken care of all our sins forever:
"12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10: 12-14)
Today, we are no longer trying to make ourselves right with God, but we are invited to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord:
"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." (2 Peter 3: 18)
God invites us to renew our minds to the truth of God's Word, the truth who sets us free:
"1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12: 1-2)
Many of us may still feel bad about what we are thinking or feeling. We spend more time trying to fix what we are feeling and thinking, rather than fixing ourselves on the Word of Truth, which sets us free (John 8: 31-32)
There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus, and for God we are accepted before Him because of His Son (Ephesians 1: 6; 1 John 4: 17).
Therefore, the fight is one of faith, of resting in the truth that we are justified from all things because of Jesus (Acts 13: 38-39)
The Word of God does not pass away, and the truth of God's Word does not go away because I feel bad or think bad thoughts. The circumstances I face, or the limits on my understanding of how great Jesus is, does not stop Jesus from speaking the Word of Truth and bringing faith and healing into my or anyone else's situation. We may put limits on His power, but even our limits He pushed past to work in our lives.
He invites us to believe on what He says of us. We take His Word, not ours, for what is the truth about who we are.
He invites us to replace the bad thoughts, the false feelings, with the truth of His Word.
I spent a long time trying to fight against bad thoughts, because I was ashamed of that thinking, convinced that I was losing fellowship with God.
Today, I choose to take God at His Word, that His Son take care of all sin, and His Blood cleanses me from all sin and grants me fellowship with Him and the rest of His Body (1 John 1: 7)
It does not matter what thoughts may come to mind, He has declared His Good News to us, and so let us replace the bad thoughts with the true, the good thoughts of God's goodness for us, all because of His Son.
Jesus Word is grace and peace because of all that He has done for us at the Cross:
"Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." (John 6: 29)
then
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (John 13: 34)
John affirms these new commandments for the New Covenant in his epistle:
"And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment." (1 John 3: 23)
When we believe in Jesus, we accept that He has taken care of all our sins forever:
"12But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10: 12-14)
Today, we are no longer trying to make ourselves right with God, but we are invited to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord:
"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." (2 Peter 3: 18)
God invites us to renew our minds to the truth of God's Word, the truth who sets us free:
"1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12: 1-2)
Many of us may still feel bad about what we are thinking or feeling. We spend more time trying to fix what we are feeling and thinking, rather than fixing ourselves on the Word of Truth, which sets us free (John 8: 31-32)
There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus, and for God we are accepted before Him because of His Son (Ephesians 1: 6; 1 John 4: 17).
Therefore, the fight is one of faith, of resting in the truth that we are justified from all things because of Jesus (Acts 13: 38-39)
The Word of God does not pass away, and the truth of God's Word does not go away because I feel bad or think bad thoughts. The circumstances I face, or the limits on my understanding of how great Jesus is, does not stop Jesus from speaking the Word of Truth and bringing faith and healing into my or anyone else's situation. We may put limits on His power, but even our limits He pushed past to work in our lives.
He invites us to believe on what He says of us. We take His Word, not ours, for what is the truth about who we are.
He invites us to replace the bad thoughts, the false feelings, with the truth of His Word.
I spent a long time trying to fight against bad thoughts, because I was ashamed of that thinking, convinced that I was losing fellowship with God.
Today, I choose to take God at His Word, that His Son take care of all sin, and His Blood cleanses me from all sin and grants me fellowship with Him and the rest of His Body (1 John 1: 7)
It does not matter what thoughts may come to mind, He has declared His Good News to us, and so let us replace the bad thoughts with the true, the good thoughts of God's goodness for us, all because of His Son.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Be A New Creature (Then Say Something)
Many find great strength in this passage from Mark 11:
"For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." (Mark 11: 23)
In order to understand having the faith of God, and not doubting in one's heart, consider what Jesus has made us to be:
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5: 17)
No matter what a man says, if He is not a new creature, a new creation in Christ, then whatever he says can have no power.
Why? We can only come before God the Father in His Name:
"These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. 26At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: 27For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. 28I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father." (John 16: 25-28)
We pray in His name, because we have His authority, and we have His authority because we have been made a new creation in Christ Jesus, sons of God:
"1Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1 John 3: 1-3)
and also
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)
We can rest assued that we will have what we say, because we believe on Him, Jesus Christ, and we do not doubt that He has done a perfect work at the Cross:
"5If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." (James 1: 5-8)
Why are so many Christians double-minded? They do not believe that Jesus has put away all our sins forever, but rather that something more must be done, that we must do.
When we believe and do not doubt in our hearts, then indeed we will have what we say.
This issue of not doubting in our hearts, of having the faith of God, is all about becoming a new creation in Christ:
"20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Galatians 2: 20-21)
One of the key verses for Hagin was not just Mark 11: 23, but 2 Corinthians 5: 17, for what is the point of speaking over and over, if you doubt in your heart that you are a new creation, and that God hears you:
"And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." (1 John 5: 15)
We are a new creature, a new creation in Christ, and as His Word dwells richly in us, lo and behold -- you will have what you say!
"For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." (Mark 11: 23)
In order to understand having the faith of God, and not doubting in one's heart, consider what Jesus has made us to be:
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5: 17)
No matter what a man says, if He is not a new creature, a new creation in Christ, then whatever he says can have no power.
Why? We can only come before God the Father in His Name:
"These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. 26At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: 27For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. 28I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father." (John 16: 25-28)
We pray in His name, because we have His authority, and we have His authority because we have been made a new creation in Christ Jesus, sons of God:
"1Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1 John 3: 1-3)
and also
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)
We can rest assued that we will have what we say, because we believe on Him, Jesus Christ, and we do not doubt that He has done a perfect work at the Cross:
"5If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." (James 1: 5-8)
Why are so many Christians double-minded? They do not believe that Jesus has put away all our sins forever, but rather that something more must be done, that we must do.
When we believe and do not doubt in our hearts, then indeed we will have what we say.
This issue of not doubting in our hearts, of having the faith of God, is all about becoming a new creation in Christ:
"20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Galatians 2: 20-21)
One of the key verses for Hagin was not just Mark 11: 23, but 2 Corinthians 5: 17, for what is the point of speaking over and over, if you doubt in your heart that you are a new creation, and that God hears you:
"And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." (1 John 5: 15)
We are a new creature, a new creation in Christ, and as His Word dwells richly in us, lo and behold -- you will have what you say!
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Jesus Meets Us Where We Are
"While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live." (Matthew 9: 18)
The chief ruler of the synagogue, Jairus, approached Jesus, believing that He could raise his daughter from the dead.
When Jesus came to Jairus' home, He announced that the daughter was not dead, but sleeping:
"He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn." (Matthew 9: 24)
Even though the hired mourners mocked Jesus, he put them out and raised the young girl from the dead.
Returning to the prayer of the chief ruler, we see that Jairus prayed the wrong prayer, in a sense. He believed that his daughter was already dead. He even said so.
Notice that Jesus did not shame or rebuke him for his lack of faith.
Moreover, Jairus asked Jesus to come to his home and lay hands on his daughter, when Jesus could have healed the daughter right then and there.
He had healed the centurion's servant in that manner:
"The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed." (Matthew 8: 8)
He also healed another person in the same manner:
"So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. 48Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. 49The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. 50Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way." (John 4: 46-50)
Despite the weak faith of the chief ruler (he believed that his daughter was dead, and he believed that Jesus had to be physically present to heal her), Jesus meet him where he was and answered his prayer.
Today, beloved, do not come to God trying to be strong, or trying to enhance your faith. Come to Jesus as you are (Matthew 11: 28), believing that He wants to help (1 Peter 5: 6-7), and Jesus will more than meet your need, for He grants us beyond what we can ask or think (Ephesians 3: 20).
The chief ruler of the synagogue, Jairus, approached Jesus, believing that He could raise his daughter from the dead.
When Jesus came to Jairus' home, He announced that the daughter was not dead, but sleeping:
"He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn." (Matthew 9: 24)
Even though the hired mourners mocked Jesus, he put them out and raised the young girl from the dead.
Returning to the prayer of the chief ruler, we see that Jairus prayed the wrong prayer, in a sense. He believed that his daughter was already dead. He even said so.
Notice that Jesus did not shame or rebuke him for his lack of faith.
Moreover, Jairus asked Jesus to come to his home and lay hands on his daughter, when Jesus could have healed the daughter right then and there.
He had healed the centurion's servant in that manner:
"The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed." (Matthew 8: 8)
He also healed another person in the same manner:
"So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. 48Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. 49The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. 50Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way." (John 4: 46-50)
Despite the weak faith of the chief ruler (he believed that his daughter was dead, and he believed that Jesus had to be physically present to heal her), Jesus meet him where he was and answered his prayer.
Today, beloved, do not come to God trying to be strong, or trying to enhance your faith. Come to Jesus as you are (Matthew 11: 28), believing that He wants to help (1 Peter 5: 6-7), and Jesus will more than meet your need, for He grants us beyond what we can ask or think (Ephesians 3: 20).
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
How to Be Fruitful: His Grace
3According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 11For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1: 3-11)
This passage was a focus of study for me for a long time.
I was focused on all the attributes listed in Second Peter.
"Add to your faith, virtue, etc"
I was focused on the list, when Peter explains how such things do not appear in our lives:
"9But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins."
I did not believe that I was purged from my past sins.
Why?
Because I was looking at the sin in my flesh, as though it was something that I had to do something about.
I was not informed that everything has been paid for. The blood of Jesus is an eternal consequence, putting away all sins and thus making them all ancient:
"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:) 12)
He has removed our transgressions, our sins from us.
Yet the fight of faith which we must fight today is a struggle of resting in the truth that all our sins have been put away.
That is the fight. Everything in this life wants to send the message that you are not OK with God, that there is still something more that you must do.
The counsel of the ungodly has every interest in keeping people busy in this respect.
If we want to remain fruitful in all the graces listed in Second Peter, God our Father invites us to keep receiving from Him the gift of righteousness today (Romans 5: 17) and forever more (Daniel 9:24).
This passage was a focus of study for me for a long time.
I was focused on all the attributes listed in Second Peter.
"Add to your faith, virtue, etc"
I was focused on the list, when Peter explains how such things do not appear in our lives:
"9But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins."
I did not believe that I was purged from my past sins.
Why?
Because I was looking at the sin in my flesh, as though it was something that I had to do something about.
I was not informed that everything has been paid for. The blood of Jesus is an eternal consequence, putting away all sins and thus making them all ancient:
"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us." (Psalm 103:) 12)
He has removed our transgressions, our sins from us.
Yet the fight of faith which we must fight today is a struggle of resting in the truth that all our sins have been put away.
That is the fight. Everything in this life wants to send the message that you are not OK with God, that there is still something more that you must do.
The counsel of the ungodly has every interest in keeping people busy in this respect.
If we want to remain fruitful in all the graces listed in Second Peter, God our Father invites us to keep receiving from Him the gift of righteousness today (Romans 5: 17) and forever more (Daniel 9:24).
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
God Says it, So Believe it. Period!
19God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
20Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.
21He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them." (Numbers 23: 19-21)
God does not lie.
He has blessed us, and He cannot take away these blessings from our lives.
We may be unsure about our standing before God, but God is not.
When He says that we are forgiven, He was not intent on filling up pages in a book.
He intended for us to take Him seriously, because seriously He gave His best: His Son:
"31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8: 31-34)
What is the key which opens our hearts to receiving everything else?
The gift of righteousness, which enforces the New Covenant in our lives:
"
10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
11And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 8: 10-12)
I admit that I did not believe Hebrews 8: 12. I was still latently accepting that God was remembering my sins, that they were not put away.
What had taken me a long time to realize, though, was the reason why I was still mindful of the lie that He was mindful of my sins.
There is no remission of sins without the shedding of blood, and the blood of Jesus speaks better things, and cleanses us today from all unrighteousness.
God's Word says it, I believe it. I take Him at His Word. Period!
Monday, September 15, 2014
Eternal Inheritance from an Eternal Mediator
"And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." (Hebrews 9: 15)
Today, we have an advocate at the right hand of God the Father:
"1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2: 1-2)
Jesus is identified as "the righteous", and in Christ we have been made the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5: 21)
We have an everlasting righteousness because of Jesus Christ, too (Daniel 9: 24), because His blood cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1: 7) and speaks better things than the blood of Abel (Hebrews 12: 24)
This righteousness is an eternal inheritance, something which He gives, and that no one can take away:
"He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour. (Proverbs 21: 21)
and also
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3: 16)
Then
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John 10: 28)
and finally
"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 17)
We have the certainty of this eternal heritance because as our mediator, Jesus lives forever on our behalf:
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" (1 Timothy 2: 5)
and
"But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises." (Hebrews 8: 6)
and also
"And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." (Hebrews 9: 15)
He has endless life, and therefore Jesus is our mediator of an eternal inheritance:
"[Jesus] only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen." (1 Timothy 6: 16)
and
"5And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, 16Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life" (Hebrews 7: 15-16)
Jesus is our mediator, our representative before God the Father, and because He is eternal, and has granted us eternal life in Himself (1 John 5: 12), we can rest assured that we have an eternal inheritance yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13: 8)
Today, we have an advocate at the right hand of God the Father:
"1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2: 1-2)
Jesus is identified as "the righteous", and in Christ we have been made the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5: 21)
We have an everlasting righteousness because of Jesus Christ, too (Daniel 9: 24), because His blood cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1: 7) and speaks better things than the blood of Abel (Hebrews 12: 24)
This righteousness is an eternal inheritance, something which He gives, and that no one can take away:
"He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour. (Proverbs 21: 21)
and also
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3: 16)
Then
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John 10: 28)
and finally
"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 17)
We have the certainty of this eternal heritance because as our mediator, Jesus lives forever on our behalf:
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;" (1 Timothy 2: 5)
and
"But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises." (Hebrews 8: 6)
and also
"And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." (Hebrews 9: 15)
He has endless life, and therefore Jesus is our mediator of an eternal inheritance:
"[Jesus] only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen." (1 Timothy 6: 16)
and
"5And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, 16Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life" (Hebrews 7: 15-16)
Jesus is our mediator, our representative before God the Father, and because He is eternal, and has granted us eternal life in Himself (1 John 5: 12), we can rest assured that we have an eternal inheritance yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13: 8)
Sunday, September 14, 2014
The Bread Of Life Makes Your Enemies Bread
"Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the
land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them,
and the LORD is with us: fear them not." (Number 14: 9)
Why do we not fear our enemies?
Because the LORD is with us. He will make them bread for us, or rather, we will find ourselves able to feed on rather than feel from our enemies
Today, how do we know that He is with us?
Because He gave us His Son, the Bread of Life:
"31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 31-32)
Jesus explains this overcoming life in reference to Himself as the Bread of Life:
"32Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread." (John 6: 32-34)
Jesus then reveals who He is:
"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." (John 6: 35)
Yet even though Jesus was talking about bread, then referring to himself, he was not talking about physical needs.
The greatest miracle which Jesus has done for us is shedding His blood and granting us His life and standing before God the Father.speaks of man's greatest hunger:
If this seems strange to you, consider also this passage:
"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5: 6)
When we receive Jesus as our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1: 30) and keep receiving His righteousness in our lives (Romans 5: 17), then we reign in life.
king about physical hunger as the primary need of man:
"26Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed." (John 6: 26-27)
This righteousness grants us overcoming power against all enemies:
"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD." (Romans 54: 17)
Then
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." (Romans 8: 37).
When we understand that Jesus is our life (Colossians 3: 4), the Bread of Life who comes down from heaven, then we have no problem believing Him for all other promises in our lives, including power over our enemies and trying situations, for His grace is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10)
Why do we not fear our enemies?
Because the LORD is with us. He will make them bread for us, or rather, we will find ourselves able to feed on rather than feel from our enemies
Today, how do we know that He is with us?
Because He gave us His Son, the Bread of Life:
"31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 31-32)
Jesus explains this overcoming life in reference to Himself as the Bread of Life:
"32Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread." (John 6: 32-34)
Jesus then reveals who He is:
"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." (John 6: 35)
Yet even though Jesus was talking about bread, then referring to himself, he was not talking about physical needs.
The greatest miracle which Jesus has done for us is shedding His blood and granting us His life and standing before God the Father.speaks of man's greatest hunger:
If this seems strange to you, consider also this passage:
"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5: 6)
When we receive Jesus as our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1: 30) and keep receiving His righteousness in our lives (Romans 5: 17), then we reign in life.
king about physical hunger as the primary need of man:
"26Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed." (John 6: 26-27)
This righteousness grants us overcoming power against all enemies:
"No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD." (Romans 54: 17)
Then
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." (Romans 8: 37).
When we understand that Jesus is our life (Colossians 3: 4), the Bread of Life who comes down from heaven, then we have no problem believing Him for all other promises in our lives, including power over our enemies and trying situations, for His grace is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10)
Saturday, September 13, 2014
His Blood Alone Saves
"13For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9: 13-14)
Before we can serve God, we have to know and believe in His love (1 John 4:1 6), that His blood has purged us from all sin, and that His blood cleanses us all the more (1 John 1: 7)
Too many Christians still treat the blood of bulls and goats with more respect than the blood of Jesus.
The blood of bulls and goats could atone for one year:
"29And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you. . .34And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses." (Leviticus 16: 29, 34)
Today, Christians believe that every time they sin, they lose fellowship with God, or they must atone for the sin by confession or good works.
First of all, there is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood:
"And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." (Hebrews 9: 22)
and
"It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." (Hebrews 10: 4)
So, this idea that we pay for our sins by works or confession is false, misleading, and offensive to God.
Not the covering of fig leaves (works of self-righteousness), but the death of an animal gave Adam and Eve covering before God (Genesis 3)
Not our works, but the grace of God, paid for by His Son, saves us (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Today, we have the best covering, the robe of righteousness, which Christ Jesus have given us:
"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels." (Isaiah 61: 10)
and then
"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:" (1 Corinthians 1: 30)
and also
"To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." (Ephesians 1: 6)
Before we can serve God, we have to know and believe in His love (1 John 4:1 6), that His blood has purged us from all sin, and that His blood cleanses us all the more (1 John 1: 7)
Too many Christians still treat the blood of bulls and goats with more respect than the blood of Jesus.
The blood of bulls and goats could atone for one year:
"29And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you. . .34And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the LORD commanded Moses." (Leviticus 16: 29, 34)
Today, Christians believe that every time they sin, they lose fellowship with God, or they must atone for the sin by confession or good works.
First of all, there is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood:
"And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." (Hebrews 9: 22)
and
"It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." (Hebrews 10: 4)
So, this idea that we pay for our sins by works or confession is false, misleading, and offensive to God.
Not the covering of fig leaves (works of self-righteousness), but the death of an animal gave Adam and Eve covering before God (Genesis 3)
Not our works, but the grace of God, paid for by His Son, saves us (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Today, we have the best covering, the robe of righteousness, which Christ Jesus have given us:
"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels." (Isaiah 61: 10)
and then
"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:" (1 Corinthians 1: 30)
and also
"To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." (Ephesians 1: 6)
Friday, September 12, 2014
He Establishes Us
"In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee." (Isaiah 54: 14)
When we look over this passage, we need to recognize that we do not establish ourselves.
It has nothing to do with how we feel or what we do or think, but rather everything to do with what Jesus has done and what God our Father has done because of His Son:
"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:" (1 Corinthians 1: 30)
Christ is made to us righteousness. We do not make Him our righteousness. God gave Him to us:
"15But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 15-17)
and also
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5: 21)
Now, when we talk about being established in Christ, we are talking about God seating us in Christ.
First, of course, God the Father seated His Son at His right hand:
"19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:" (Ephesians 1:19-21)
Now, when we understand where Jesus is seated, and how He got there, then we can understand where we are seated and how:
"4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" (Ephesians 2: 4-6)
When we receive this revelation, then we can understand all the promises, and why are they are Yea and Amen in Christ:
"20For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 21Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." (2 Corinthians 1: 20-22)
In this verse, clearly God is establishing us. We do not establish ourselves, nor do we have to keep establishing ourselves:
"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7: 25)
When we look over this passage, we need to recognize that we do not establish ourselves.
It has nothing to do with how we feel or what we do or think, but rather everything to do with what Jesus has done and what God our Father has done because of His Son:
"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:" (1 Corinthians 1: 30)
Christ is made to us righteousness. We do not make Him our righteousness. God gave Him to us:
"15But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 15-17)
and also
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5: 21)
Now, when we talk about being established in Christ, we are talking about God seating us in Christ.
First, of course, God the Father seated His Son at His right hand:
"19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:" (Ephesians 1:19-21)
Now, when we understand where Jesus is seated, and how He got there, then we can understand where we are seated and how:
"4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" (Ephesians 2: 4-6)
When we receive this revelation, then we can understand all the promises, and why are they are Yea and Amen in Christ:
"20For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 21Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." (2 Corinthians 1: 20-22)
In this verse, clearly God is establishing us. We do not establish ourselves, nor do we have to keep establishing ourselves:
"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7: 25)
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Your 9-11 Call: Jesus!
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 91: 1)
We dwell under the shadow of the Almighty today because of Jesus, our Savior, our Mercy Seat.
In a few verses down, the Psalmist explains specifically the source of this shadow:
"He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler." (Psalm 91: 4)
These wings and the feathers speak of the Mercy Seat:
"17And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 18And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. 19And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 20And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be." (Exodus 25: 17-20)
The mercy seat represents the place where man's sins are paid for:
"And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself: 12And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: 13And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not: 14And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times." (Leviticus 16: 11-14)
Today, Jesus is our Mercy Seat:
"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;" (Romans 3: 25)
and
"1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2: 1-2)
"For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." (Psalm 91: 11)
We can rest assured that His angels watch over us, because just as Satan used this verse to tempt Jesus to throw Himself off the temple, so to we can know that even if we do fall, we are borne up by His angels, because we are in Christ today (1 John 4: 17)
Today, when you need help, you can rest assured that Jesus, your Savior, Your Mercy Seat, has got you covered.
We dwell under the shadow of the Almighty today because of Jesus, our Savior, our Mercy Seat.
In a few verses down, the Psalmist explains specifically the source of this shadow:
"He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler." (Psalm 91: 4)
These wings and the feathers speak of the Mercy Seat:
"17And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 18And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. 19And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 20And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be." (Exodus 25: 17-20)
The mercy seat represents the place where man's sins are paid for:
"And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself: 12And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the vail: 13And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not: 14And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times." (Leviticus 16: 11-14)
Today, Jesus is our Mercy Seat:
"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;" (Romans 3: 25)
and
"1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2: 1-2)
"For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." (Psalm 91: 11)
We can rest assured that His angels watch over us, because just as Satan used this verse to tempt Jesus to throw Himself off the temple, so to we can know that even if we do fall, we are borne up by His angels, because we are in Christ today (1 John 4: 17)
Today, when you need help, you can rest assured that Jesus, your Savior, Your Mercy Seat, has got you covered.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
His Redemption Covers You Everywhere
"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the Passover unto the LORD." (Numbers 9: 10)
Consider the literal translation of this verse:
"'Speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, Though any man is unclean by a body or in a distant journey (of you or of your generations), yet he hath prepared a passover to Jehovah;" (YLT)
The original Hebrew of this verse suggests that the men mentioned in this verse have celebrated the Passover.
What' going on here? The Hebrew recognizes the eternal, Finished Work of Jesus Christ!
Now, there are other wonderful truths which we can receive from this passage.
In the Law of Moses, man could be made unclean in three ways:
"What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;" (Leviticus 22: 24)
Leprosy speaks of the sin in our flesh, the sin of our thoughts, within us. "A running issue" speaks of sins which we have done or do. Sins from touching a dead body speak of association. Because we are all born dead in our trespasses because of Adam (Roman 5: 12-14), we are all guilty or defiled by association.
The last sin seems like the most unfair. We did not do anything wrong, did we? Demonstrating a boldness which God has given us today through His Son (Hebrews 4: 16), men in Israel approached Moses:
"And those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the LORD in his appointed season among the children of Israel?" (Numbers 9:7)
In effect, the men said: "Why can't we offer the offering for the Passover? It's not our sin within or without which defiles us at this time".
Now, Moses, a type of the law, cannot answer their need. The law is inflexible, but the LORD delights in mercy/grace, not sacrifice (Hosea 6: 6; Matthew 9: 13).
So:
"And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you." (Numbers 9: 8)
"Stand still" first appears in Genesis 18: 8, where Abraham stands under a tree after serving milk and butter to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. "Stand still" is a picture of resting in the perfect work of Jesus Christ, that He has paid for all our sins, that we may be partakers of His grace!
The LORD responded that whether they have touched a dead man, or in a journey far away, they can celebrate the Passover, and because of Christ Jesus, even though we were dead in Adam, and even if we sense that we are far away from Him, we can rest and receive grace because of what Jesus did for us at the Cross, our Passover Lamb who takes away our sin (John 1: 29), and the sins of the entire world (1 John 2: 2)
Consider the literal translation of this verse:
"'Speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, Though any man is unclean by a body or in a distant journey (of you or of your generations), yet he hath prepared a passover to Jehovah;" (YLT)
The original Hebrew of this verse suggests that the men mentioned in this verse have celebrated the Passover.
What' going on here? The Hebrew recognizes the eternal, Finished Work of Jesus Christ!
Now, there are other wonderful truths which we can receive from this passage.
In the Law of Moses, man could be made unclean in three ways:
"What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;" (Leviticus 22: 24)
Leprosy speaks of the sin in our flesh, the sin of our thoughts, within us. "A running issue" speaks of sins which we have done or do. Sins from touching a dead body speak of association. Because we are all born dead in our trespasses because of Adam (Roman 5: 12-14), we are all guilty or defiled by association.
The last sin seems like the most unfair. We did not do anything wrong, did we? Demonstrating a boldness which God has given us today through His Son (Hebrews 4: 16), men in Israel approached Moses:
"And those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the LORD in his appointed season among the children of Israel?" (Numbers 9:7)
In effect, the men said: "Why can't we offer the offering for the Passover? It's not our sin within or without which defiles us at this time".
Now, Moses, a type of the law, cannot answer their need. The law is inflexible, but the LORD delights in mercy/grace, not sacrifice (Hosea 6: 6; Matthew 9: 13).
So:
"And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you." (Numbers 9: 8)
"Stand still" first appears in Genesis 18: 8, where Abraham stands under a tree after serving milk and butter to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. "Stand still" is a picture of resting in the perfect work of Jesus Christ, that He has paid for all our sins, that we may be partakers of His grace!
The LORD responded that whether they have touched a dead man, or in a journey far away, they can celebrate the Passover, and because of Christ Jesus, even though we were dead in Adam, and even if we sense that we are far away from Him, we can rest and receive grace because of what Jesus did for us at the Cross, our Passover Lamb who takes away our sin (John 1: 29), and the sins of the entire world (1 John 2: 2)
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Love Perfected: As He Is, So Are We
Yet even for defining love, that is not love perfected, or completed.
How does that happen in our lives, then?
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)
A more accurate translation of this passage reads:
"By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17, NASB)
Love is not perfected in what we do, but in that we identify with Jesus. Not just seeing Him as the one we live through, and more than seeing Him as the mercy seat for our sins (past, present, and future), but we identify with Him, not with ourselves.
This was Jesus' prayer before going to the Cross:
"20Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; 21That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. "(John 17: 20-23)
Leaving elementary school and high school and entering graduate school love, so to speak, or to be an expert on God's love, is to see that you are in Christ, and that He is before in all things:
"I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning." (1 John 2: 13)
Not our doing more, but identifying more fully in Christ -- that is growing in knowledge of God's love for you.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Love Defined: Jesus Our Propitiation
Then John defines love:
"10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 10)
John makes it very clear -- love is not define by what we do, but what Jesus has done and is doing for us.
God sent His Son:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3: 16)
Notice also that love is what Jesus is doing. A proper translation of 1 John 4: 10 would read:
"And sent His Son, the propitiation (or mercy seat) of our sins."
Jesus does not stop being our mercy seat, for He is our high priest forever:
"15And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, 16Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
"10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 10)
John makes it very clear -- love is not define by what we do, but what Jesus has done and is doing for us.
God sent His Son:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3: 16)
Notice also that love is what Jesus is doing. A proper translation of 1 John 4: 10 would read:
"And sent His Son, the propitiation (or mercy seat) of our sins."
Jesus does not stop being our mercy seat, for He is our high priest forever:
"15And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, 16Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
17For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." (Hebrews 7: 15-17)
Jesus is this High Priest, one who justifies us and intercedes for us at the right hand of God the Father (Romans 8: 31-34)
John also writes about Jesus our propitiation, or rather our mercy seat:
"1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2: 1-2)
Notice even here that John writes "He is" not "He was".
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Love Manifested: We Live Through Him
When people talk about the love of God, and growing in knowledge of God's love, people tend to think that this love is about doing more.
What does the Bible say?
First, let us consider the prayer which Paul prayed to the Spirit-filled Ephesians:
"14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3: 14-19)
Even though Paul had spent the two previous chapters telling the Ephesians that God the Father seated His Son at His right hand, and that they are seated in Christ, and that all things are under their feet, he did not stop there. He told them to gain a revelation of this great love that God has for us.
That Christ would dwell, or rather be at home in their hearts.
In other words, that the would identify with Him completely.
Turning to First John, we see a growing understanding of God's love is not about what we do, but who we are in Him.
"9In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." (1 John 4: 9)
Now, this is what love looks like. God sent His Son, that we might live through Him.
What does the Bible say?
First, let us consider the prayer which Paul prayed to the Spirit-filled Ephesians:
"14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3: 14-19)
Even though Paul had spent the two previous chapters telling the Ephesians that God the Father seated His Son at His right hand, and that they are seated in Christ, and that all things are under their feet, he did not stop there. He told them to gain a revelation of this great love that God has for us.
That Christ would dwell, or rather be at home in their hearts.
In other words, that the would identify with Him completely.
Turning to First John, we see a growing understanding of God's love is not about what we do, but who we are in Him.
"9In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." (1 John 4: 9)
Now, this is what love looks like. God sent His Son, that we might live through Him.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Relationship? No- Righteousness and Oneness in Christ
To describe salvation as forming a relationship with God is just not adequate.
Christ is not a religion, or even a relationship. He is everything for manm beginning with Wisdom, then righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). He is our heart and the beat. The Body and the Blood, who meets every need, gives every seed, and blesses with all deliberate seed. We give nothing but our poverty, and He makes us rich (2 Corinthians 8: 9).
“Relationship” implies that we bring something, and the other party contributes something. In truth, we are dead in our trespasses. Jesus Christ has brought us back to life.
"I am come that you may have life, and that more abundantly." (John 10: 10)
and also
"When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3: 4)
and
"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (1 John 5: 12)
We did not initiate a relationship. We are called, welcomed into a covenant, one which could not keep ourselves, one which God the Father cut with His own Son, who represents us before the Father. He came to us, while still sinners. He died the death and provides the life which we cannot create for ourselves.
"4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" (Ephesians 2: 4-6)
Christ is not a religion, or even a relationship. He is everything for manm beginning with Wisdom, then righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). He is our heart and the beat. The Body and the Blood, who meets every need, gives every seed, and blesses with all deliberate seed. We give nothing but our poverty, and He makes us rich (2 Corinthians 8: 9).
We bring nothing to this "relationship", if we insist on calling it such. "Righteousness and right standing", this is what every believer has in Christ:
"I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." (John 17: 23)
We are not just in a relationship. We are not just in righteousness and right standing. We are Christ, we are His:
"And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." (1 Corinthians 3: 23)
and
"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." (Colossians 3: 3)
and
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3: 26)
and
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)
A relationship implies separation, division, a lack of oneness. Even a man and a woman are not as one as we are in Christ Jesus!
"I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." (John 17: 23)
We are not just in a relationship. We are not just in righteousness and right standing. We are Christ, we are His:
"And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's." (1 Corinthians 3: 23)
and
"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." (Colossians 3: 3)
and
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3: 26)
and
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)
A relationship implies separation, division, a lack of oneness. Even a man and a woman are not as one as we are in Christ Jesus!
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